Chloe Dao to be a judge on 'Project Runway Vietnam'

By Joy Sewing |
March 12, 2013
| Updated: March 13, 2013 7:36am

: Designer Chloe Dao at Fashion Houston 2010 Presented By Audi at the Wortham Theatre Center on October 13, 2010 in Houston, Texas.
HOUSTON - OCTOBER 13: Designer Chloe Dao poses in the HPNOTIQ candy lounge on day three of Fashion Houston 2010 Presented By Audi at the Wortham Theatre Center on October 13, 2010 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** Chloe Dao

Photo By Insight/Freelance

Designer Chloe Dao owns the boutique Dao Chloe Dao. She is the Season 2 winner of "Project Runway."

Houston designer Chloe Dao has signed a deal to be on "Project Runway Vietnam," a spinoff of Lifetime's "Project Runway" with Heidi Klum.

Dao heads to Vietnam in just 10 days to begin shooting the new show that will air in the U.S. on Vietnam Television on Sundays April 28-June 16. She'll be there for a month and will take on the role of judge, much like designer Michael Kors on "Project Runway" here. She's also the show's co-executive producer. The deal has been super secret in the past few weeks, but her camp confirmed the news to the Chronicle Tuesday.

Dao is in a rush to finish her spring collection and bridal gowns for clients, while brushing up on her Vietnamese.

"As a Vietnamese-American, I'm honored to be invited to represent both cultures and looking forward to being a judge instead of a contestant. I'm also excited to see what Vietnamese designers will bring to 'Project Runway,' " she said.

Dao was born in Laos and escaped with her parents and seven sisters to Thailand as refugees. The family moved to Houston in 1979. In 2000, she returned to Vietnam for the first time since she was a child to visit family and still has relatives there.

In 2006, she won "Project Runway" Season 2 and received $100,000 for her own clothing line, a $24,000 Saturn vehicle and a spread in Elle magazine. She later had a sold-out sportswear collection, Simply Chloe Dao, on QVC.

Dao remodeled and changed the name of her boutique to Dao Chloe Dao last year.

"Chloe Dao's victory not only is a dream of millions of young designers, but also she's the pride for the country of Vietnam," the show's producers said in a press release.